Cameron Biles-Lidell is a composer based in North Wales. He tells Remain Composed he enjoys writing programme music, often based on landscapes or landmarks, and he also writes absolute music. He says he’s always thinking about evoking mood, image or feelings in his music.

Discussing how he gets his ideas flowing, Cameron says he always starts by going for a walk or at least getting out of his house.

Cameron says he often relies on tropes to communicate the story behind a piece to the audience quickly, and he likes it when his music is described as filmic. He says he fell in love with orchestral music by listening to great film music. And he says the comparison shows that his music connects with a wide audience.

Cameron has written several places inspired by the area where he lives. He says music based on places can create a cultural resonance with locals, and transport listeners from other places.

Chloe Knibbs is a composer currently studying for a PhD at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. In her work, she explores ways of being inspired by historical women composers.

Chloe tells Remain Composed about writing her 40 minute work Prism for piano and electronics, using material by and telling the story of the French composer Marie Jaëll (1846-1925). Chloe tells us she enjoyed combining humour with a serious message.

Chloe also discusses her fascination with the English composer Ethel Smyth (1858-1944), about whom she’s written two opera scenes.

Chloe says she enjoys projects most which have a lengthy ideas phase, and a piece is not finished when the score is complete - as she feels the performance is a crucial part of the creative process.

This episode focuses on AI, with Tom Collins, who is an associate professor of music engineering technology at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

We discuss how AI tools make music, whether they're a threat to human creatives' jobs, the ways Tom has used AI creatively in his music and the challenges facing copyright.

Tom also tells us about the Music and AI course he teaches, and how he makes sure the assignments are AI proof.

Tom encourages everyone to have a go at using an AI music generator like Suno or Udio, to get first-hand experience of how it works - rather than just listening to hype in the media.